“We measure her weight in ounces,” said her mom, Jennifer, an employee of Parks Insurance Agency in Big Spring. “Ounces are pretty important to us right now.”  

Health and Jennifer hold tiny K'lyn in the neonatal intensive care unit at Medical Center Hospital of Odessa. K'lyn was born May 1 weighing just 2 pounds, 5.1 ounces. She's already gained a pound and continues to improve. (Courtesy photos)

 

Indeed. After all, little K'lyn is a robust 3 pounds 5 ounces today and improving all the time — thanks, her mother says, to the quality treatment at the neonatal intensive care unit at Medical Center Hospital of Odessa.

“It's amazing. She's had a couple of setbacks, but not anything abnormal for a preemie,” said Jennifer, who gave birth to K'lyn at 29 weeks of pregnancy.

Jennifer and her husband, Keith, didn't really think they could have children, so they were surprised when Jennifer became pregnant late last year.

“We were really floored, but also very happy when we found out,” said Jennifer. K'lyn is their first child together. They each brought a 7-year-old daughter into the marriage.

The pregnancy started well, but by late April, Jennifer began to develop complications.

“I felt real uneasy. I thought I had gallstones,” Jennifer recalled.

Jennifer kept active, coaching softball and working. But one day she began to realize her complications might not be “normal.” She conferred with medical authorities and the decision was made to head to Odessa Medical Center. Fifteen minutes from Odessa, her physician, Dr. Irvin Reiner, called and told the family to head directly to the labor and delivery unit. It was a shock to the family.

“We didn't know what was going on, but he had figured it out,” said Jennifer.

She was diagnosed with preeclampsia, an often deadly medical condition where hypertension arises during pregnancy. She was placed in critical care and given drugs to help strengthen the unborn baby's lungs, but within days doctor's had no choice but to perform a c-section and deliver tiny K'lyn.

Jennifer was released a week later and the family has been able to stay in their fifth-wheel RV in the hospital parking lot.

“That's been a real blessing,” said Jennifer. “It's been great to be able to be right there all the time. Our employers have been wonderful about this, too.”

Heath's co-workers at Cornell Corrections donated accumulated time so that he could be off.

Heath and Jennifer have done their best to keep life on an even keel, especially for daughters Hannah and Chesney. School and softball practice must go on, of course, and they've been blessed with help from family, friends and teachers. They resumed their jobs Tuesday and make the trek to Odessa and back on a daily basis, weary, but thankful.

“We wouldn't have made it this far without the prayers and support of our church, Baptist Temple, family and friends,” said Jennifer.

K'lyn continues to improve and Jennifer and Heath are cautiously hopeful that she might be able to come home by her original due date, July 16.

“We'd be thrilled if she could come home by then,” Jennifer said.

The important thing, of course, is that K'lyn continues to improve. The family knows she is in capable hands.

“Everyone here at the NIC (neonatal intensive care unit) has been absolutely wonderful,” said Jennifer. “The care is amazing. Nurses who are off duty sometimes call in just to see how K'lyn is doing.”

K'lyn's doctors, Dr. Robert Bennett and Dr. Anthony Talbert, and Jennifer's physician, Dr. Reiner are “awesome,” Jennifer said, adding, “Without them, neither of us would be here today.

“You never dream something like this is going to happen, but when it does, it's amazing to know that this neonatal intensive care unit is here in West Texas. They have the best of the best equipment, the best doctors, the best nurses,” Jennifer said.

The NICU is largely funded by the Children's Miracle Network. Incidentally, NewsWest 9 will be participating in a telethon tonight and Saturday to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. Proceeds received from the Permian Basin area, including Big Spring, will go toward the Medical Center Hospital of Odessa and its NICU.

“We'd encourage people to give. This is really a very important service for West Texas,” said Jennifer.

The telethon will be on from 7 p.m. to midnight tonight, except during the 10 p.m. news, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The family hopes K'lyn's story will help others.

“She is our pillar of strength. She smiles, even on bad days, and we are amazed at God's continued goodness to us all, even through times we don't always understand,” Jennifer said. “She has already touched so many people and she doesn't even know it.”

Editor's Note: To follow K'lyn's story on the Web, go to http://caringbridge.org/visit/klynjaegillespie. Jennifer updates it often and there is a journal, photos and a guestbook. K'lyn's grandparents are LouAnn Perry of Big Spring and the late JL Perry; Gramps and Mumsie Gillespie, also known as Tony and Angela Gillespie of Knott; Verl and Ioma Shaw of Big Spring and Hallie Gillespie of Ackerly and the late Joe Gillespie.